3. Good practices and examples of recent reforms A number of countries have in recent years passed legislative reforms to allow mothers to register births on an equal basis with men. Guinea reformed its Civil Code (article 202) in 2019 allowing women to register births.33 In 2018, South Sudan passed the Civil Registry Act of 2018 where Article 25.6 provides that the mother can also register the birth. A 2004 reform of the Civil Registration Code of Mozambique also allows either parent to register the birth and obtain a birth certificate. In addition, single Mozambican mothers can now register their children under their maiden name, and choose to register them as having a father other than her husband.34 In Afghanistan, the Constitution requires equality between men and women, and the Law on Registration of Population Records (2014) notes that both parents are able to register a child. In September 2020, the President signed an amendment allowing mothers’ names to be included on official documents, including their children’s birth certificates, which previously named only the father. 33 Previously Article 194. 34 Article 149 of Law No. 12 on the Civil Registration Code 2004 (as amended by law 12/2018), and Article 238(1) of the Mozambique Family Law, 2004 (amended by law 22/2019). B AC KG R O U N D N O T E O N S E X D I S C R I M I N AT I O N I N B I R T H R E G I S T R AT I O N 13

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